The Future of Consumerist

Over the last twelve years, Consumerist has been a steadfast proponent and voice on behalf of consumers, from exposing shady practices by secretive cable companies to pushing for action against dodgy payday lenders. Now, we’re joining forces with Consumer Reports, our parent organization, to cultivate the next generation of consumer advocacy.

Stay tuned as Consumerist’s current and future content finds its home as a part of the Consumer Reports brand. In the meantime, you can access existing Consumerist content below, and we encourage you to visit Consumer Reports to read the latest consumer news.

Is it a good idea to have a hand-held food that then gets a syrup-like substance drizzled on top of it? This could ruin the rest of your day if you do it incorrectly.

It’s been nearly a year since the world first heard rumors of a strange breakfast beast being tested in lands to the west (i.e. California). The whispers claimed it was a Waffle Taco, while skeptics questioned whether the term “taco” was being stretched by a company whose longtime figurehead was a talking chihuahua and who also hired this guy. Now, like rock ‘n’ roll and door-to-door salesmen, the Waffle Taco, along with other breakfast stuff, is heading for your hometown whether you want it or not.

The fast food chain announced this morning that the Waffle Taco — which is not a corn tortilla full of waffle chunks or a tortilla shell made of waffle cone material, but really just a waffle curved around a piece of breakfast sausage — will be part of the Taco Bell breakfast menu nationwide starting March 27.

Taco Bell says that 5,500 of its stores will now be offering a full breakfast menu, including the taco of waffle, and something called an A.M. Crunchwrap, which the company describes as the “classic breakfast tastes of fluffy scrambled eggs, a golden crispy hash brown, melted cheese and flavorful bacon (or a hearty sausage patty or premium thick cut steak), all wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla.”

So basically it’s like getting the breakfast buffet bar at Shoneys and then shoving it all in a tortilla.

The fast food chain is also going to be selling these Cinnabon things, which we’re sure are of interest to some people, but we just gained five pounds writing this story… so we’ll be back after a brisk walk to burn some calories.